< by Jill >

In the spring of 2010, a shipment of caterpillars arrived at the doorstep of classroom 308. I opened it up and the learning began. With teacherly guidance, 28 second graders transferred the buggers into small cups with food, affixed perforated lids, and watched the transformation. As the caterpillars tucked themselves into chrysalis, we studied their next phase of life.

During one lesson, I taught the children about camouflage. Reading from the teacher’s manual, I explained, “Butterflies have colorful painted wings so that they can trick predators into thinking they are flowers and trees. Some develop spots that look like eyes so that they can scare away hungry birds.” I asked the students to pretend that they were butterflies in a garden. They wandered around the classroom, looking for a place to blend in. Then, they each received a paper butterfly and colored it to match the “flowers” in our “garden.”

Look and see if you can find their hiding spots! (Click the first tile to launch gallery)